Objective: To assess the influence of migration on the psychopathological presentation of individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis (UHR) in São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: This study is part of the Subclinical Symptoms and Prodromal Psychosis (SSAPP) project, a cohort study in São Paulo, Brazil, designed to follow individuals at UHR. After screening with the Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ) and a clinical interview, the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) was administered, a neuropsychological assessment was performed, sociodemographic and migration data were obtained. We then analyzed UHR individuals who had migration data to see if migration had any effect on their cognition and psychopathology. Chi-square tests were used for categorical variables, and Student’s t test or analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for nonparametric and parametric distributions, respectively. Results: The sample was composed of 42 at-risk subjects, of whom 5 had a migration history in the past two generations. Those with migration history showed significantly more formal thought disturbances (p = 0.012) and sleeping problems (p = 0.033) compared to those without. Conclusions: Our data reinforce migration as a risk factor for psychosis in developing countries as well, and highlights the importance of studying the specific effect of this factor in UHR psychopathology.

The last four decades have witnessed tremendous growth in research studies applying neuroimaging methods to evaluate pathophysiological and treatment aspects of psychiatric disorders around the world. This article provides a brief history of psychiatric neuroimaging research in Brazil, including quantitative information about the growth of this field in the country over the past 20 years. Also described are the various methodologies used, the wealth of scientific questions investigated, and the strength of international collaborations established. Finally, examples of the many methodological advances that have emerged in the field of in vivo neuroimaging are provided, with discussion of the challenges faced by psychiatric research groups in Brazil, a country of limited resources, to continue incorporating such innovations to generate novel scientific data of local and global relevance.

RESUMO OBJETIVO O Transtorno de déficit de atenção e hiperatividade (TDAH) é um transtorno do neurodesenvolvimento que causa importantes prejuízos em várias áreas do funcionamento humano, resultando em pior qualidade de vida (QoL). Entretanto, são escassos os estudos que se utilizam de escalas válidas para documentar, objetivamente, os prejuízos na QoL de adultos com TDAH nunca tratados. O presente estudo teve por objetivos avaliar QoL numa amostra clínica de adultos com TDAH virgens de tratamento comparando com grupo controle saudável (GC) e investigar a relação entre QoL e gravidade de sintomas. MÉTODO Foram utilizadas para classificação de gravidade de sintomas a escala Auto-relato de sintomas TDAH em adultos, ASRS e como medida de QoL a WHOQOL-BREF em uma amostra de 46 adultos com TDAH com média de idade de 29,3 anos, que nunca receberam tratamento; estes foram comparados com 28 voluntários saudáveis - GC, com média de idade de 28,7 anos). RESULTADOS Observou-se QoL significativamente pior no grupo TDAH comparado ao GC (p<0,001). A gravidade de sintomas de hiperatividade (mas não os de desatenção) correlacionou negativamente com escores da escala de QoL (p<0,05). CONCLUSÃO O uso de um instrumento genérico de QoL como a WHOQOL-BREF, permite a detecção de baixa QoL em adultos com TDAH comparado ao GC e destaca a importância que deve ser atribuída a prejuízos na QoL durante o planejamento e monitoramento de estratégias de tratamento para esta população.

OBJECTIVE Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that causes substantial deficits in several aspects of human function, resulting in a poor quality of life. However, studies using valid reports to objectively document Quality of Life impairment in never-treated adults with Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale have, to date, been scarce. The aim of this study was to assess Quality of Life in a clinical sample of treatment-naïve adults with Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in comparison to a healthy control group, and to investigate the relationship between Quality of Life and symptom severity ratings. METHOD Symptom severity ratings (assessed using the Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale) and quality of life measurements using the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale (through WHOQOL-BREF) were obtained from a sample of 46 treatment-naïve adults with Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (mean age=29.3 years) and a group of 28 healthy controls (mean age=28.7 years). RESULTS Quality of Life was significantly worse in the Attention-deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder group compared to the healthy controls. The severity of symptoms of hyperactivity (but not of inattention) was negatively correlated with quality of life. CONCLUSION The use of a generic Quality of Life tool such as the WHOQOL-BREF allows the detection of lower Quality of Life, vs. healthy controls, in adult Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder patients, and highlights the relevance of Quality of Life impairment when planning and monitoring treatment strategies for such a population.